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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24542707">End of the Road</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/pseuds/mdelpin'>mdelpin</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oryu404/pseuds/Oryu404'>Oryu404</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail Dads AU [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Celebrations, College, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Idiots in Love, M/M, Magnolia Dad's Club, Masturbation, Pet, Preslash Makarov/Porlyusica, Prompt: Gift, Prompt: Tease, Rimming, Surprises, Teasing, Tumblr: FTLGBTales, Walking In On Someone, ftdadsau, ftlgbtpride2020</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:20:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>8,293</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24542707</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mdelpin/pseuds/mdelpin, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oryu404/pseuds/Oryu404</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Silver and Gildarts thought they could withstand anything, but it only takes one mistake to destroy the life they'd worked so hard to build together. </p><p>And even though it hurts them more than anything ,they have no choice but to let go.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gildarts Clive/Silver Fullbuster, Mika Fullbuster &amp; Silver Fullbuster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail Dads AU [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1555675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Fairy Tail Dads AU, Fairy Tail LGBTales, I Take Pride in What I Am 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Silver and Gildarts have been living together happily for a year, but now that school has started up again they don't have as much time for each other as they would like.<br/>When Silver comes home to celebrate Gildarts landing the internship of his dreams, he finds himself at the mercy of his partner's teasing.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>September 6, 1989</p><p> </p><p>Silver came home at the end of a very long day. One which had included two lectures, a four-hour shift at his research assistant job at one of the university’s Biomedical Engineering labs, as well as assistant coaching a hockey practice. He was exhausted, starving, and very much looking forward to seeing Gildarts.</p><p>He let himself into their apartment, dropping his backpack on the floor, surprised to see Gildarts sitting at the dining room table surrounded by textbooks, more than Silver even knew he owned, and seemingly looking at every one of them at once.</p><p>“Gil?” Silver puzzled, “What are you doing?”</p><p>“I have an interview tomorrow,” Gildarts muttered grabbing another book and putting it down when it didn’t seem to have what he wanted, “Everyone wants this one, and I really want to make a good impression.”</p><p>Silver chuckled at the panic on his boyfriend’s face and grabbed the book from his hands.” Are you even reading any of these?”</p><p>Once he had emptied Gildarts’ hands, he grabbed them in his own. “Look at me,” he ordered, as Gildarts continued to eye the books. When Gildarts finally met his eyes, he smiled, “You don’t need to do any last-minute cramming. You’re great at what you do, and you know your stuff. The people at your last internship adored you. You’ve got this, okay?”</p><p>Gildarts nodded uncertainly, and Silver let go of his hands and stood behind him, forgetting his hunger for the moment. He kneaded his boyfriend’s shoulders or rather tried to, as he was extremely tense.</p><p>“Loosen up, will ya?” Silver complained.</p><p>“I can think of better ways to relax,” Gildarts grinned, grabbing Silver’s hands and urging him onto his lap, facing him. As soon as he was in place, Gildarts leaned in to kiss Silver’s lips, sucking gently on his bottom lip, and darting his tongue into the well-loved mouth.</p><p>Silver moaned at the intrusion, captivated as always by the feelings and sensations that Gildarts never ceased to invoke in him. They soon separated, but he was happy to see that Gildarts did indeed look more relaxed.</p><p>“Thanks, I needed to hear that,” Gildarts remarked, pulling Silver into a hug. “I just really want this one, you know? I think I’d be able to make a big difference there.”</p><p>“I don’t even know why you’re worried, we both know you can charm the pants off anyone you want,” Silver chuckled.</p><p>“Hey, there is only one pair of pants I want off, and sadly you’re still wearing them,” Gildarts pouted, “Anything I can do to change that?”</p><p>“Pfft, maybe later. Right now, I’m starving,” Silver admitted, “I had a long-ass day, and I still have about two hours worth of reading to do before I go to bed.”</p><p>“Anything I can help with?”</p><p>“Did you make dinner?” Silver asked hopefully.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I went into panic mode as soon as I got the call, but go jump in the shower, I’ll make us some sandwiches.”</p><p>“Thanks, you’re the best!” Silver called behind him, hurrying to the bathroom, “I promise if I get my reading done both our pants can come off!” He teased before closing the bathroom door.</p><p>Gildarts laughed and headed to the kitchen to make their dinner, already knowing it wasn’t going to happen but appreciating the gesture all the same. More often than not, Silver fell asleep with his head buried in a textbook. Gildarts would indeed get his pants off but only to put him to bed.</p><p>It had been like that the previous year too, and though it worried him to see his boyfriend pushing himself so hard, he was also moved.</p><p>When Silver had come out to his parents, they had cut him off, making it so he had to work twice as hard as anyone else to be able to afford school. He put himself through all this so the two of them could be together.</p><p>It was a sacrifice that he seemed happy enough to make, never once complaining about the extra work, but Gildarts knew he still missed his family. Just as he knew that Silver harbored a secret hope that they would someday change their minds and accept him as he was.</p><p>He deserved so much better.</p><p>Gildarts told himself it would only be for a little while longer. After this year was over, he would graduate with a Masters in Social Work and get a full-time job to support them both until Silver finished his own degree. They just had to hold on.</p><p>Once the sandwiches were ready, he set about cleaning up the table, leaving only the books he would need to study for his own classes. When Silver came out of the shower, shirtless and in a pair of sweatpants, everything was ready for him. He was still studying when Gildarts called it a night.</p><p> </p><p>0-0</p><p> </p><p>Silver had woken up in their bed that morning only to watch Gildarts try on the entire contents of his closet. He would have liked to go back to sleep, but as amusing as it was to watch his boyfriend freak out, he knew how important this interview was to him.</p><p>“Wear that red button-down shirt your Mom gave you for Christmas and uhm, maybe some black slacks?” he commented from the bed, chuckling as Gildarts just about jumped at his words.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Gildarts apologized, coming over to give him a good morning kiss.</p><p>“Nah, I’m glad, I would have been upset if I hadn’t been able to wish you luck before you left,” Silver stretched his arms over his head before sitting up. “Do you have to wear a tie?”</p><p>“Do you think I should?” Gildarts looked terrified again, “I don’t know how to knot those things.”</p><p>“Seriously, you’ve got to chill,” Silver scolded, getting up and walking to his side of the closet where he kept a small basket with his ties. He sorted through them - while Gildarts put on the clothes he’d recommended - until he found one he thought would match the shirt. “Come here,” he ordered.</p><p>Gildarts walked over, red shirt still unbuttoned, and Silver took in the sight of his boyfriend’s taut pecs and tantalizing abs, “I wish we had more time,” he murmured as he buttoned the shirt closed, noticing Gildarts shiver at his touch.</p><p>“Problem?”</p><p>“Your hands are like blocks of ice,” Gildarts complained, his features settling into a cute pout that didn’t fool Silver one bit.</p><p>“Maybe you should warm them then,” Silver teased, slipping his hands down Gildarts' back and into his pants, squeezing his butt cheeks and grinding into him.</p><p>There was no disguising the desire in Gildarts' eyes at even that simple touch, and he felt terrible. Ever since school had started a few weeks earlier, they’d had no time to be together. But now really wasn’t the best moment and he knew that even though looking down it was quite clear they were both more than ready.</p><p>“Silver,” Gildarts cautioned, drawing his lower lip between his teeth.</p><p>“I know, I know, sorry,” Silver immediately removed his hands and smiled to show there were no hard feelings, “I got carried away. You’re just too damn sexy for your own good.” He was relieved to see Gildarts perk up at his compliment.</p><p>“Anyway, tie.”</p><p>Silver finished buttoning up the shirt, tugging the collar up, and draping his tie around Gildarts' neck until the ends lined up the way he wanted. He worked on knotting the tie in the way his father had taught him so long ago. Little things like this always served to remind him that his boyfriend had never had a father figure to teach him all the things that Silver took for granted.</p><p>He chuckled as an image of Porlyusica trying to teach a young Gildarts how to do this flitted through his mind.</p><p>“There you go, you look very handsome,” Silver adjusted the collar and kissed his cheek.</p><p>“Not bad,” Gildarts agreed, admiring himself in the mirror.</p><p>“Just don’t give some poor old lady a heart attack, I don’t want to be responsible for that.” He eyed their bed wistfully but grabbed some clothes from his closet and got dressed for the day instead.</p><p>“No promises,” Gildarts retorted, confidence fully restored. “I gotta get going, but I’ll see you tonight?”</p><p>“Yep, no practice tonight, so I should be home early.”</p><p>“Great, can’t wait!” Gildarts gave him a quick hug. “Love you,” he called out, giving Silver one of the grins that still made him weak at the knees even after two years, before rushing out of the bedroom.</p><p>Silver could feel his mouth curving into a smile in response, and with one last well wish, he set about getting ready for his day.</p><p>A few hours later, he trudged into the crowded student center, searching his wallet for one of the coffee shop gift cards Porlyusica was continually giving him. She claimed her patients gave them to her, but Silver was pretty sure that was an excuse, and it warmed his heart to imagine the surly doctor standing in line to buy them just so that he could have a treat. She was a complicated person, but at her core, she was just as kind as her son.</p><p>She demanded their presence at her house every Sunday without fail, claiming to need their help with repairs. After bossing them around for a couple of hours, she would make them lunch, often making enough to send them home with plenty of leftovers and one of the gift cards. With Ur back in Margaret Town, Porlyusica was the only family they had at the moment, and he loved her for it.</p><p>Finding it, he looked at the line, sighing when it was just as long as always. Thankfully his next class was nearby, so he should be fine. He felt a huge yawn coming on and quickly covered his mouth. He’d stayed up way too late again, but at least he’d gotten most of the reading done.</p><p>“Silver?”</p><p>Upon hearing his name Silver turned around, finding Mika Cheney, his ex-girlfriend from high school, standing right behind him. “Hey, long time no see!” he greeted her with a quick hug, “How are you doing?”</p><p>“Good, it’s nice to see a familiar face around here,” Mika smiled at him, then peeked around him to observe the line they were standing in. “Busy place, huh?”</p><p>“Tell me about it,” Silver chuckled, “So did you just start your first year here? I thought you went to Clover Uni?”</p><p>“I did, I switched colleges after I got my bachelor’s. My dad insisted that the program here was better,” she sighed and rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Still a hardass?” Silver asked, remembering many nights spent commiserating about their fathers.</p><p>“Yep, yours?”</p><p>Silver was about to answer when he felt himself being picked up from behind in an over the top manner that could only come from one person. He turned around as soon as he was set down, and sure enough, there was Gildarts, looking incredibly pleased with himself.</p><p>“You got it?” Silver asked, completely forgetting about Mika for the moment.</p><p>Gildarts nodded, grinning from ear to ear, “I got it.”</p><p>Silver wanted to kiss the fool out of him, but after coming out to their parents, they had both decided that while they would not deny their relationship if asked, they wouldn’t go searching for trouble either. He’d have to wait until they were at home to show Gildarts how proud he was of him.</p><p>“Who’s this?” Gildarts asked, noticing Mika gawking at them.</p><p>“Huh?” he turned to see who Gildarts was referring to, “Oh right, this is Mika Cheney. Mika, this idiot is Gildarts Clive. This is her first year here.”</p><p>“Obviously,” Gildarts remarked, “I never forget a beautiful woman.”</p><p>Mika’s cheeks flushed at the compliment, “Nice to meet you, Gildarts.”</p><p>“Oh, the pleasure is most definitely mine,” Gildarts winked, “So how do you like our school so far?”</p><p>“It’s different from what I’m used to, and I haven’t really met too many people yet, so I was glad to see Silver.”</p><p>The line finally began to move, much to Silver’s relief as a quick look down at his watch let him know he was running out of time before his class started.</p><p>“Well, maybe you could join us for dinner or something sometime,” Gildarts offered politely, ignoring Silvers’ attempts to get his attention. “Well, I just wanted to drop in and tell you while I knew where you were. See you at home, gotta go find a payphone to call my mom.”</p><p>He took off, leaving both of them staring after him.</p><p>“He is not hard to look at,” Mika commented unexpectedly.</p><p>“Bastard knows it too,” Silver agreed, finally getting to the counter and placing his order.</p><p>“So home, are you guys roommates?” Mika asked with interest.</p><p>“We live together,” Silver conceded, hating to pretend they were nothing when Gildarts was his everything.</p><p>“So, uhm,” Mika looked uncomfortable, and he tensed up, waiting for her next question, “this is kind of awkward, but do you know if he’s seeing anyone?”</p><p>He was caught off guard, both by her question and the way it made him feel. Gildarts was a likable guy, Silver was well aware of the attention he got for it, and even though he knew his boyfriend would never stray, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy at times. Which was why he blurted out, “He’s with me,” before he realized it.</p><p>His name was called, and he grabbed his drink, “It was nice to see you again, Mika. I have to get to class.” He took off without a backward glance, leaving her staring after him with a flabbergasted expression on her face.</p><p> </p><p>0-0</p><p> </p><p>Gildarts had ordered pizza and bought a six-pack of beer on his way home from the University. They didn’t get take out often, always having to be mindful of their finances, but it was a special occasion, and he’d decided to splurge.</p><p>He’d busied himself with putting away the clothes he’d left strewn all over the bed that morning while waiting for Silver to come home. He was in a great mood and he hummed along with the radio. Even though his mother had yelled at him for interrupting her at work, he’d still heard the pride in her voice.</p><p>She’d even invited them over to her house for a celebratory dinner the following evening. And when he had asked to invite his supervisor from his previous internship, she’d only ranted for five minutes before agreeing.</p><p>He remembered Silver mentioning he’d be home early, and his thoughts turned to how good it had felt to have his hands all over him that morning. Gildarts was already getting aroused at the idea of continuing where they’d left off. Another thing he’d been dying to splurge on, but it would have to wait until Silver got home, and they’d finished eating their pizza…</p><p>Yeah, screw that, he couldn’t wait anymore. Not when thoughts of his boyfriend and all the things he wished they’d been able to do earlier wouldn’t leave his mind, only getting more creative and colorful with each passing second. Every single one seemed to last forever as he waited, and his cock was already responding, straining against the confinement of his clothes.</p><p>Besides, he thought to himself, if he got some of that frustration out now, he’d last a lot longer later. And that was all the self-persuasion he needed to lay back on the bed and undo his belt.</p><p>Gildarts closed his eyes, imagining Silver running his hands all over his body, pupils blown and mouth slightly open as he looked down at him. Would he undo the buckle slowly, or would he be in a rush to get his hands, or even better, his mouth on him?</p><p>Just thinking about the wet heat of Silver’s mouth as it licked and sucked him was making him groan with need. He quickly undid the buckle, unfastening the button of his pants and pulling them down. He tossed them on the floor, along with his underwear.</p><p>His hand strayed down. At first, only tracing the curve of his cock slowly, teasing himself just the way Silver would if he were there, but that didn’t last very long. Even that small touch was enough to get him going, and he soon wrapped his hand around his cock, still pretending his lover was there with him.</p><p>“Silver,” he moaned, jerking his hand up and down with abandon.</p><p>“Is this what you do when I’m not home?”</p><p>The last thing Silver had expected when he got home was to find Gildarts jerking off in the bedroom, and while it shocked him somewhat, it was also the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Gildarts saying his name in that needy voice reinforced that he was his, something Silver needed to hear after the incident with Mika earlier.</p><p>“You’re home,” Gildarts grinned, not looking ashamed in the slightest at being caught with his pants down. He made to get up, cock still hard, but Silver shook his head.</p><p>“I never said you should stop,” Silver’s tone was playful, but he knew Gildarts would recognize it for the challenge it was.</p><p>Gildarts raised an eyebrow but lay back down. “Anything in particular you want to see?”</p><p>“Surprise me,” Silver watched as Gildarts began to unbutton his shirt.</p><p>“Leave it!” he commanded, “I want to see you just like this. So desperate to have me fuck you, you couldn’t be bothered to take it off.”</p><p>Gildarts breath hitched at his words, his hand returning to its previous position and giving a tentative jerk. They’d never done this type of play before, and it was exciting.</p><p>Silver should have known he was in trouble the moment Gildarts peered straight into his eyes and grinned.</p><p>Grabbing one of the pillows, Gildarts placed it under his lower back. “Do you think you can grab me some lube?”</p><p>Silver found it hard to swallow, but he hurried to their nightstand, grabbed the first bottle he saw and handed it over. He leaned in, wanting to steal a kiss, but Gildarts refused, that same smile on his face. “You only get to watch.”</p><p>He should’ve seen it coming, knowing Gildarts as well as he did, and yet it still caught Silver off guard. He stared, entranced, as Gildarts poured some lube over his fingers before pulling up one of his legs and easing his finger inside. His eyes widened as he watched his boyfriend working himself open, oh so slowly.</p><p>“Is this the way you like to do it? I’ve never really done this to myself,” Gildarts mused, and how he could keep his voice level while fingering himself and jerking off was a mystery when Silver didn’t feel like he could trust his own voice.</p><p>His cock protested the action or lack thereof on his part, but he couldn’t look away, fascinated by what was happening in front of him.</p><p>Gildarts eased another finger in, hissing in discomfort as he thrust his fingers in and out, slowing down the rhythm on his cock as he did so. It was Silver who moaned in pleasure, prompting Gildarts to look at him.</p><p>” Like what you see?” Gildarts licked his lips, making Silver think of all the sinful things that mouth was capable of.</p><p>“Yessss,” Silver hissed, giving voice to the desire that burned through his veins.</p><p>“Show me how much.”</p><p>Silver didn’t hesitate, quickly stripping off his clothes and giving his cock the attention it craved. His eyes fell shut at the sensation, but he forced them back open, not wanting to lose at this game he’d started. Although at this point, he no longer understood the rules. He just knew he wanted to fuck Gildarts senseless, and didn’t care what he had to do to get there.</p><p>“Damn, that is hot,” Gildarts gasped, stopping what he was doing to watch as Silver put on a show for him.</p><p>“I want to fuck you,” Silver sensed he’d somehow managed to gain the upper hand, and he wasn’t about to back down. He began to thrust his hips, fucking his own hand for emphasis, “hard enough to slam your head against the headboard. I want to hear you beg for more, to scream my name so loudly the whole apartment floor will know you’re mine.”</p><p>“Sweet Mother of Jesus, I have no idea what’s gotten into you, but if you don’t get your ass over here and put your money where your mouth is, I’m gonna be seriously pissed.”</p><p>Silver hurried to the bed, not having to be told twice.</p><p>“I’d rather put my mouth on you,” he declared with a wicked grin. He tugged at Gildarts’ tie and pulled him up for a kiss, pushing him down when he was done.</p><p>“Just fuck me already,” Gildarts whined, the fingers in his ass speeding up as his need grew.</p><p>“You can beg better than that,” Silver taunted, grabbing his wrist to keep it from moving, much to his partner’s frustration. “Let me hear you.”</p><p>Silver moved down to Gidarts’ balls, taking them in his mouth and sucking on them, continuing to fondle them even as he licked a path down to where those fingers were, moving them out of the way to make room for his tongue. He started simple, licking zigzag patterns around the sensitive area.</p><p>“What are you-, oh God, that’s -” Gildarts panted, “Fuuuuck, I’m gonna-, Silver pleeeease!”</p><p>Silver tickled Gildarts’ hole with just the tip of his tongue, reveling in the loud moans Gildarts couldn’t contain.</p><p>He puffed out a small breath on the sensitive skin before thrusting his tongue in as far as he could get it, letting his tongue fuck Gildarts mercilessly, wanting to make him even more desperate for his cock. He repeated this a few times before asking innocently, “Please, what?”</p><p>He was being a jerk, and he knew it, but the sound of Gildarts begging for him as he lost all control was seriously turning him on. He was almost unbelievably hard, and he worked himself some more, desperately needing some friction on his leaking cock.</p><p>“I swear to God if you don’t stick your dick up my ass this instant, I am going to make you regret it the next time I top,” Gildarts fumed, thoroughly done with this game.</p><p>“Good enough,” Silver quipped before grabbing the bottle of lube and drizzling some over his cock, remembering Gildarts’ earlier hiss. Lining himself up, he rammed into Gildarts, slamming his head into the headboard as promised.</p><p>Silver gave him no quarter, ravaging him with a desperation he hadn’t even realized he’d felt. Every delicious moan he was able to coax out of Gildarts with his hands, and his mouth and his cock brought him closer to losing control as the pleasure built up in his body. But it was the sound of Gildarts screaming his name in ecstasy as he came that proved to be his undoing.</p><p>After all that teasing and weeks of pent up desire, neither of them had lasted very long, but they were both left more than satisfied. They lay in each other’s arms, basking in the afterglow of their climaxes. It had been so long since they’d had a moment like this. They wanted to hold onto it for as long as possible.</p><p>“So, do you do that a lot?” Silver asked once he’d caught his breath, having never really thought about what Gildarts got up to while he was away. He leaned his head on Gildarts' broad shoulder as they both sat with their backs against the headboard.</p><p>“Not really, I’d rather wait for you most of the time. You just really got me going this morning,” Gildarts kissed Silver’s head, tenderly moving some strands of hair that had stuck to Silver’s sweaty forehead away from his face. “I’ve had a lot of sex over the years, but that was all there was to it, it was just sex. It’s different with you, and that feeling is better than anything I could ever manage on my own.”</p><p>Silver smiled, content with the answer, and remembering why it was they were celebrating, he praised, “I’m so proud of you, Sweetheart. You are gonna do such a great job at…,” he wrinkled his nose as he tried to remember any detail Gildarts might have mentioned. “What is the job anyway? You didn’t really say.”</p><p>“It’s a place that provides services to families in need. I’d be doing whatever they tell me to, but I’d get to work with kids who are growing up like I did, helping them find resources my mom and I never had access to.”</p><p>“Sounds like you were cut out for it. Except for the ‘doing whatever they tell you to do’ part, of course,” Silver teased his boyfriend.</p><p>Gildarts scoffed, “I can follow orders when I want to.”</p><p>Silver snorted, “Yeah, right after you tell them to go to hell.”</p><p>“I was pretty obedient a little while ago,” Gildarts reminded him.</p><p>Silver let out a little moan remembering how sexy his boyfriend had looked when he’d walked into their bedroom, “Yeah, you were. You better not be that obedient with anyone else,” he mock growled.</p><p>Gildarts peered at him and scratched his head, “Did something happen today?”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“I don’t know, you don’t usually act so possessive, I mean I don’t mind it or anything,” Gildarts was quick to reassure him, “it’s just unusual for you.”</p><p>“It’s dumb,” Silver admitted, feeling stupid for the way he had overreacted at Mika’s innocent question.</p><p>“No such thing, Darlin’.” Gildarts caressed his cheek, then got up, loosening the tie and removing it as well as the soiled shirt from his sweaty body, giving Silver a beautiful view of his backside as he strode into the living room, and one of his front when he returned with the pizzas he’d ordered and two cans of beer. “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked.</p><p>Silver sighed, “That girl I introduced you to earlier, we used to date in high school. You flirted with her, and after you left, she asked me if you were seeing anyone, and I just, I don’t know, I guess I snapped? I told her we were together.”</p><p>“Aww, you were jealous?” Gildarts offered him a slice of pizza and closed his eyes,” You don’t have anything to worry about, Silver. I’m not so fickle that I’d endanger what we have for a pretty face. I have my life all planned out, and you have a huge role in it.”</p><p>“Good,” Silver answered, mouth full of pizza. It had gone cold in the time they’d spent in the bedroom, but it had been worth it, and cold pizza was still great pizza. He reached out for Gildarts’ hand to hold while they both ate their pizza and drank their beer.</p><p>“Oh, I meant to tell you,” Gildarts snapped his fingers, “Mom invited us over for dinner tomorrow, she wants to celebrate my internship.”</p><p>“Sounds good,” Silver yawned. It had been another long day, and although he knew he should probably study, he decided to put it off. He wanted to fall asleep in Gildarts' arms for once.</p><p>He tugged Gildarts' arm, letting him know he wanted him to lie down. Gildarts snorted, grabbed the boxes, tossed them on the floor to be disposed of later, and got under the covers.</p><p><em>Mine</em>, Silver thought with a smile as he curled himself around his boyfriend and drifted off to sleep.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>During a celebration dinner at his mother's house, Gildarts discovers something about Silver that he hadn't realized. Although he can't fulfill Silver’s wish, it gives him an idea that symbolizes how he feels about their future.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>September 8, 1989</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Silver and Gildarts wisely stayed out of Porlyusica’s way as she rushed through the remaining preparations for their dinner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everything looks great, mom,” Gildarts assured her, “smells good too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She flashed him a rare smile, “I really </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span> proud of you, Gilly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gilly?!” Silver burst into guffaws, earning him two nearly identical glares from his boyfriend and Porlyusica.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shuddered at the combined weight of their displeasure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You are </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> calling me that,” Gildarts declared, and when Silver attempted to respond, he covered his mouth. “Never, do you understand?” He waited until Silver nodded to remove his hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver waggled his eyebrows, “Have I ever told you how sexy you look when you have that murderous aura?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gildarts rolled his eyes but pulled him into a kiss regardless. “Mhhm,” he hummed, licking his lips after they separated. “Maybe I should have you for dinner instead.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, for the love of,” Porlyusica protested, “can’t you two keep your hands off each other for five minutes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The doorbell rang, and Porlyusica went off to answer it, muttering under her breath about how they were much too old to be acting like lovesick teenagers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver and Gildarts snickered, following her to the door to greet their guest. They stood behind her as she opened the door, revealing a short man with blond hair that was slicked away from his face in gravity-defying spikes. He gave Porlyusica an appraising once over.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Porlyusica greeted their guest with barely hidden contempt, moving away from the door to let him enter the house.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, Porly, long time no see!” Makarov Dreyar grinned, clearly amused by the irritated glare he received from his hostess.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Porly? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Silver mouthed at Gildarts, who shrugged his shoulders in reply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve told you to never call me that,” Porlyusica scowled, even as she accepted the bouquet of pink roses he had brought her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And this is for you,” Makarov ignored Porlyusica’s remark and handed Gildarts the bottle of wine, which looked to be kind of expensive. “I had a hell of a time finding a good vintage for 1965, but this should do,” he patted Gildarts on the back, too short to reach his shoulders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two know each other?” Gildarts looked from one to the other in confusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You could say that. We went to medical school together,” Porlyusica muttered grouchily, moving to the kitchen to put her flowers in a vase.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We were a little more than that,” Makarov teased, chuckling when he saw her shoulders tense.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t go putting ideas into the boy’s head,” Porlyusica scolded, glancing over at Gildarts, “What he’s trying to say is that he was one of the few people at that school who was not a complete idiot. Although that seems to have changed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Makarov snorted at her comment, “It’s been too long,” he opened his arms and, in a move that surprised both Silver and Gildarts, Porlyusica allowed herself to be hugged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you were Gildarts supervisor?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep, all of last year and he was good enough to help me out this summer as well,” Makarov remarked, “He grew up to be a wonderful boy, who would have thought?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Noting Gildarts' confused expression, Makarov explained, “I watched you a few times when you were little, so your mother could study. You used to have this amazing ability to break things, glad to see you outgrew that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He hasn’t,” Silver piped in, earning a dirty look from Gildarts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, this must be the significant other you’ve mentioned,” Makarov extended his hand in greeting, “Makarov Dreyar, nice to meet you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Silver Fullbuster,” Silver shook his hand, “Whatever he told you about me is probably not true.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Makarov chuckled, “Well, you must certainly be something to keep his attention, I swear Gildarts had every single woman at that center pining over him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I bet,” Silver rolled his eyes, “it’s the same at school.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I mean, can you blame them?” Gildarts joked, “Besides, you’re just as bad. It’s how we met, remember?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you done?” Porlyusica asked them drily, not looking particularly impressed with any of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry, mom,” Gildarts flashed her a grin and grabbed one of the serving plates, taking it to the dinner table while Silver hurried to do the same.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This looks wonderful,” Makarov complimented after they had sat down, “when did you learn how to cook?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About the same time you stopped growing,” Porlyusica sniped in return, causing Silver to almost choke on his water.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gildarts was doing his best to keep a straight face, but it had been a long time since he’d seen his mother so riled up, and for once, it wasn’t directed at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So Gildarts mentioned that you ran your practice from home,” Makarov remarked, “That was smart, it must have been very helpful when he was young.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, it allowed me to be here when he got home after school, although it also meant that people showed up at all hours.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And I bet you saw them all,” Makarov smiled, “You always were a softie.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Porlyusica slid him a guarded look, “Why do I get the sudden feeling that you’re buttering me up for something.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Makarov shrugged, flashing her an amused smile, “You always were too suspicious.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyhow, enough about us, we’re here to celebrate our Gildarts’ accomplishment!” Makarov cheered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dude, I think I just met your new dad,” Silver whispered into Gildarts’ ear, earning him an elbow to his side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have something to add, Silver?” Porlyusica fixed him with one of her no-nonsense looks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver’s eyes twinkled with mischief, “No, ma’am, just that Gildarts worked really hard for this, and I’m really proud of him.” He gave his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek, chuckling when Gildarts whispered, “Nice save.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two make a lovely couple,” Makarov complimented, “it’s refreshing to see. How long have you been together?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“About two and a half years,” Gildarts answered in between bites, “So how come you never told me you knew my mom?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” Makarov tapped his fingers on the table, “I figured if you were anything like your mother you’d want to make sure you got the job on your own. And you did.” Makarov added quickly, “I chose you based on your own merit. I just didn’t want you to ever doubt it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just wish I could have gotten your help with this new project I’m working on, you’d be perfect for it,” Makarov said wistfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this the center thing you mentioned on the phone?” Gildarts asked, eyes flashing with interest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A center?” Silver questioned, “What kind of center?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, the old-style orphanages are gone, replaced by something called the foster system. Now families can apply to care for children. The government pays them a stipend to cover the costs of housing a child in their care. It could be an orphan or a child taken away from its parents for any number of reasons. In time these families can even petition to adopt the child,” Makarov explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t know you could do that,” Silver commented, and it wasn’t hard to see he was excited about the idea, “I’d love for us to do something like that, Gil. Not now, of course, but maybe when we’re more settled, you know? We could get a bigger house, foster a few kids, maybe even give them a home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You want us to have kids?” Gildarts gawked at his boyfriend, “You’d never said anything about that before.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you want to?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I hadn’t really considered it, but I mean, I like kids, and I love you so…” Gildarts scratched his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry to say you wouldn’t be allowed to,” Makarov interrupted Gildarts’ musing, “There are certain laws in place as to who can and cannot apply to foster a child, and unfortunately same-sex couples are in the cannot column.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? But why?!” Silver protested, “We’d make excellent parents.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t doubt that,” Makarov smiled kindly, “It’s obvious you love each other, and you’d probably be better parents than those that are just doing it for the money. To be honest, I feel the foster system has introduced more problems than it’s solved. That’s exactly why I want to open this center.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Silver wrinkled his brow, trying to understand what the man was saying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Some of these kids get abused by their foster parents. More often than not, it’s their word against an adult’s, and the government isn’t that interested in taking them back now that they don’t have a lot of space to keep them,” Gildarts put in, “So if it gets bad enough, these kids turn to the streets, and it’s even worse for them there. Drugs, prostitution, slavery, they were talking about that in one of my classes last week. They can’t even get access to health care services cause that would get them caught. It’s even worse if they’re like us.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gildarts peered at Makarov with respect, “Is that what you want to do, create a place they can go to get services?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I knew it!” Porlyusica slammed her fist on the table, “I knew you were buttering me up for something. I have my own practice Makarov, I don’t have time to humor your whims.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Porly, these kids are getting lost. You always said Gildarts never had much, but he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. These kids have no one. Besides, Rob, Yaj, and Goldmine already agreed to help. I’m even trying to get Bob to come back from Edolas for this.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have Rob, you don’t need me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know as well as I do that some girls prefer female doctors,” Makarov reminded her, “You also know you’re only protesting cause I’m the one asking.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s enough! You were invited here to celebrate Gildarts’ achievement,” Porlyusica’s eyes flashed with anger, and to no one’s surprise, Makarov backed down.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But Mom, this is really important.” Gildarts protested, “Didn’t you always tell me that if there was a way I could help it was my responsibility to do so?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Gildarts, she’s right, this wasn’t the right time to bring it up.” Makarov acknowledged, but a corner of his mouth lifted at Gildarts’ words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gildarts was about to say something when Silver spoke, “So do you have any funny stories from Gildarts’ internship you can tell us?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do I ever,” Makarov grinned, eyeing Gildarts playfully, “There was this one girl in particular-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Noooo,” Gildarts groaned, “Please don’t tell him that story, I’ll never hear the end of it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Even more reason to tell me,” Silver prodded, rubbing his hands together in glee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They spent the rest of the dinner listening to Makarov’s stories, and despite his protests, Gildarts laughed along with them, always loving to be the center of attention. After helping to clear the table, Silver and Gildarts sat outside while Porlyusica gave Makarov a tour of her practice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gildarts put his arm around Silver’s shoulders, smiling when Silver leaned into him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you thinking about?” Gildarts asked when Silver had remained quiet for many minutes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just how stupid this all is,” Silver sighed, “They’d rather have an abusive asshole care for a child than someone who doesn’t fit their idea of normal. It’s like they think we’re some kind of contagious disease or something. It just reminds me of growing up with my dad, terrified of him realizing how I felt, but still wanting his approval so damn badly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There wasn’t much Gildarts could say to that, so he squeezed his boyfriend’s hand tightly and changed the subject. “I never knew you felt so strongly about having kids.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t really think about it. Before I met you, I just assumed I’d end up marrying some girl and having kids. It’s what was expected of me, you know?” Silver tensed in his arms, “I’d never really considered any other outcome.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Silver,” Gildarts hesitated before continuing, “If this isn’t what you want long term, it’s okay.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not what I said, I wouldn’t give you up just so I could have a family,” his forehead furrowed in thought. “A lot of those kids that Makarov was talking about, they run away because they’re like us, don’t they?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not that simple, but yeah, a lot of them are LGBT or have untreated mental health issues. Sometimes they’re just physically abused or malnourished. There’s no one reason. The only thing they all probably have in common is that they’re scared.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want us to help them if we can,” Silver entreated, “that’s kind of like being a parent too, isn’t it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is,“ Gildarts assured him, “I’ll tell Makarov we want to help however we can.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you think your mom will change her mind?” Silver asked, surprised when Gildarts started to laugh. </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“She never stood a chance,” he explained, “Makarov will continue to hound her until she says yes. He’s relentless. No wonder he was so eager to come over.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver was still caught up in his own gloomy thoughts when he felt Gildarts kiss the top of his head before nuzzling it, “It won’t always be like this. People are starting to take notice of the injustices, and maybe this center will help bring awareness to some of these issues.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>More than anything, he wanted to share in Gildarts’ optimism, but he wasn’t as sure. In his experience, there was still too much hatred for things to change anytime soon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They sat together in silence, watching the stars until they were called back inside for dessert.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>0-0 </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wakey wakey, “ Gildarts singsonged annoyingly into Silver’s ear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go away,” Silver whined, pushing his boyfriend away even as he tried to keep his eyes shut. “Come on, Gil, it’s Saturday, one of the few days we can sleep late.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p><span>“</span>Not today, come on, we’re going out,” Gildarts got up from the bed, grabbing the covers and taking them with him.</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like that’s gonna work,” Silver muttered, snuggling into the sheets, grabbing hold of Gildarts’ pillow and hugging it to his chest. He tried to go back to sleep, but now that Gildarts had left the bed and taken all of the warmth with him, he couldn’t seem to settle again. After a few more attempts, he groaned and got up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He walked out of their bedroom and scowled at his boyfriend, who was cheerfully preparing breakfast and coffee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How can you be this fucking chipper?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gildarts only laughed and handed him a mug filled with coffee before grabbing the plates of food off the counter and moving them to the table. “Not all of us are grumpy in the morning. Now hurry up and eat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver tried to remain irritated, but it was hard to do when everything looked and smelled so good. “Fine,” he relented, ”What is so important that we needed to get up so early?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gildarts rolled his eyes and sat across from him, “Dude, it’s like ten o’clock. It stopped being early hours ago.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You haven’t answered my question,” Silver declared, feeling the beginnings of curiosity gnaw at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s because it’s a surprise.” </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>There was a gleam to Gildarts’ eyes that Silver wasn’t sure he trusted, but he knew from experience if his boyfriend was determined to keep something to himself, there was no getting it out of him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They finished eating and quickly got ready, leaving their apartment roughly thirty minutes later. The fall air was invigorating, and they began to walk towards the university. Thinking that they were headed to some student performance or something, Silver stopped paying attention to where they were going and trusted Gildarts to lead them while he thought about what he still needed to get done before Monday’s classes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They stopped sooner than what he had anticipated, and he soon realized they weren’t on campus. In fact, they were standing in front of the Magnolia Animal Shelter, which had a colorful sign hung up, declaring that day as an Adoption Day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned to look at his boyfriend in confusion, noticing that he seemed almost shy for once, “What are we doing here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I couldn’t stop thinking about what you said last night, the things you wanted and-,” Gildarts seemed flustered, his fingers combing through his hair, “and I know this isn’t the same, but it is something we </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span> adopt together.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Someday we’ll have that future you talked about with the house and the kids,” he said reassuringly, “but until then, maybe this can serve as a sort of promise. Either way, it’ll be good practice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver was at a loss for words, he’d never expected Gildarts to take what he’d said so seriously. Certainly not enough to try to do something about it, and for once, he threw caution to the wind, kissing Gildarts in broad daylight for anyone to see.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you,” Silver breathed out, smirking at the flabbergasted expression on Gildarts’ face, who could only nod in reply.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pointed to the door of the shelter and asked, “Shall we?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve never had a pet before,” Gildarts admitted, “This is kind of exciting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, so the truth comes out, you just wanted to convince me to get a dog,” Silver teased, chuckling when Gildarts immediately protested the accusation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They entered the building already discussing what kind of dog they wanted, spending almost an hour looking into every kennel they could. Gildarts was excited about getting a puppy, but Silver was convinced that they needed a dog that was already housebroken since they were often gone for long periods of the day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had almost made their choice, much to the delight of the frazzled volunteer, when Silver noticed an older lady looking sadly at a dog they had walked past earlier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gildarts had also noticed her and had already walked over, “Is everything okay, ma’am?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” She blinked at him in surprise, “Oh, yes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver joined them, his curiosity aroused as well. Inside the kennel, there was a young, gray pitbull, with a white belly and gorgeous blue eyes, who looked rather sweet and seemed to be whimpering at the old lady. “Are you planning to take him home?” he asked after checking the information card.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The old lady sighed, “I can’t, I was the one that brought him here. My tenant association threatened to have me evicted otherwise. They said Slate was dangerous, but that’s not true. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t want to give him up,” the old woman looked at Silver apologetically, “but I have nowhere else to go, and I couldn’t find anyone to take him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver could see Gildarts narrowing his eyes as he read the card, and suddenly he was kneeling in front of the kennel and calling out to the dog.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come here, Slate,” he called, and the dog cocked his head at him. A few seconds later, he moved to sniff Gildarts’ offered hand. He whimpered again, his tail wagging tentatively.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who’s a good boy?” Gildarts cooed as he patted the dog on the head, already looking at Silver with wide, pleading eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver reread the information card to see what had caused Gildarts’ sudden interest, and that’s when he caught something that he’d missed before, making his stomach drop.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>DEATH DATE: 09/10</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was tomorrow! </span>
  <span></span>
    <br/>
  
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>Silver knelt next to Gildarts, holding out his hand as well, smiling as the dog licked it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“His name is Slate, Silver,” Gildarts coaxed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver turned his attention to the woman, “Is there anything we need to know about him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s a wonderful dog, he’s very affectionate. Please don’t let them kill him,” the woman was close to tears, and he could see Gildarts was as close as he’d ever seen him. Apparently Porlyusica was not the only softie, Silver mused.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, let’s take him for a walk then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Slate was indeed a wonderful dog, and five minutes into the walk, he’d already started to worm himself into their hearts. They decided to adopt him and demanded both their names be on the application, to the confusion of the woman writing up the form.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An hour later they left, after having purchased all the things they would need, using up some of the money Gildarts had saved for emergencies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They spent the rest of the day at home, getting Slate settled in. Silver tried to get back to his studies but couldn't help but peek over the edge of his book, drawn to the almost childlike joy he could hear in Gildarts' giggles. He watched with adoration as Gildarts lay on the floor, wrestling with Slate, who rewarded him by enthusiastically licking his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few more failed attempts at studying Silver gave in to the urge of  joining them on the floor. Slate came right up to him to give him dog kisses too, and he could hear Gildarts’ chuckle at whatever expression he was making.  Once he was done with his greeting Slate settled between them, tired from all the playing and exploring of his new home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are we still going to your mom’s tomorrow?” Silver asked as he stroked the smooth coat of fur on Slate's head, smiling at how content the dog already seemed with them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course! We have to introduce her to the grandkid,” Gildarts snickered as Silver rolled his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, we should let this little guy go out to do his business before we get to bed then, you know she likes us to get there early,” Silver reminded him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gildarts hummed in agreement, getting up to look for the leash they had bought. Once they’d managed to coax Slate up they walked him down the stairs and out the door. It was late enough that the streets were mostly empty so when he felt Gildarts lace their hands together Silver didn’t even blink. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And perhaps this was the biggest gift of all, these little moments they could now look forward to where they were just a couple taking their dog out for a walk, free to express their love even if only in the cover of night.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Want to talk with us about Fairy Tail, other animes, writing, or our stories? Click on the link to join our discord <a href="https://discord.gg/HTnthVNZ3V">The Unholy Trinity</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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